The Forest Grounds
by ArticulateClay
Summary: The brawlers decide to go camping. What will happen? Read to find out! :D   ShunXAlice... Rated T for future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

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**Hey everyone!  
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I know I'm supposed to update my other story, but I was actually busy making a YouTube video on Shun and Alice, and it's finally finished! :D**

Hopefully I'll be able to update that story soon enough.

Sorry for the vague summary, but that's all I could come up with.

Now on with the story!

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Alice was sitting on a bench in Marucho's back garden, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere.

The boys - Dan, Shun and Marucho - had just saved New Vestroia and were safe and sound back on earth.

Everything was perfect.

"Hey Alice," Runo called, "lunch is ready!"

"Okay. I'll be there in a minute." Alice replied.

She got up unwillingly. Nature was just so soothing and captivating, she thought.

* * *

It was a feast in there, like all the world's greatest chefs had come together to prepare a meal just for the brawlers.

Marucho sat at the head of the table; Shun and Alice sat opposite each other and so did Dan and Runo.

"Hey Runo, stop hogging all the loin tips," Dan said playfully.

"I didn't touch your stupid loin tips," his girlfriend replied, in an equally playful manner.

Alice smiled at the two while Shun just sighed. It was like old times, they thought.

"Hey guys, stop the bickering, you know there's more from where that came from. And besides, we're all tired after the whole New Vestroia mission," Marucho said.

"You know what would be really nice? Camping outdoors for a few days," Alice suggested with a hint of hope in her voice.

"Oh yeah! That would be awesome!" Dan agreed.

"Yes, a splendid idea indeed! Some time outdoors will definitely be good for us. It's a great way to relieve us from our tiredness." Marucho said.

"So what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Runo said excitedly.

"Um, Runo, can we finish our lunch first?" a worried Dan said.

Alice giggled, "She didn't mean right away Dan."

"Oh….good," Dan said, feeling foolish.

"OoOo, I'm gonna love this," a bubbly Julie said. "Shun, you haven't said a word. Don't you wanna come?" She added.

"Yea, sure, I don't have a problem," Shun said coolly.

"I know a great place where we can camp," Marucho said.

"And I'll organize the whole thing. We can leave by tomorrow morning," Alice said happily.

"Oh wait! Hold on!" Dan said and in his haste and excitement, took out his cell phone.

"What are you doing?" Runo demanded.

"Yup that's done." Dan said, satisfied.

"What's done?" Julie asked, concerned.

"I just texted Chan, Billy and Klaus to come for the trip too!" Dan said, with a cheesy grin on his face.

"WHAT?" Everyone else yelled in unison, with Shun's voice the most prominent.

"Whaaaat?" Dan asked, as if he did nothing wrong.

"It's not that we don't like them, it's just that we thought it would only be the 6 of us going for the trip," Runo said a bit disapprovingly.

Shun just angrily muttered something inaudible and ate his food sulkily.

"I thought the more would be the merrier…" Dan said.

"It's alright Dan. We can still have fun," Alice said optimistically, but you could clearly identify the sadness in her voice.

* * *

Alice woke up very early that night. She went into the kitchen and started preparing the food and other stuff needed for the outing. They had decided to go camping for about five days and Alice thought it would be best to make most of the food at home.

She was extremely tired and sleepy, but she kept going on.

Alice wasn't exactly Miss Ninja and so a bit of noise was generated from her work, which, not surprisingly, was enough to wake Shun up.

Shun crept out of bed and noiselessly made his way to the kitchen. He smiled. It wasn't unusual for Alice to be so caring and hard-working; but it still amazed him every time she showed signs of it.

He thought of going in and helping her but then decided against. He didn't think she would like the intrusion and so after stealing a quick glance at her, he went back to bed.

* * *

Everyone was pumped for the trip, except for Alice, who seemed a little out of it. Shun being the observant one, was the only one who noticed this.

"Man, I am so totally psyched!" Dan said, pumping his fists in the air.

"Yes, I concur Dan. This trip will indeed be refreshing," Marucho said.

"So," Dan began, "Chan, Klaus and Billy should be here any minute now."

The doorbell rang, much to Shun's discontentment.

"Ah, there they are." Dan said.

Billy, Chan and Klaus entered, bags and all.

Klaus went straightaway to Alice, knelt down and kissed her hand.

Shun looked away and wandered somewhere else.

"Ah, Alice. I hope you have been doing well," Klaus inquired in his dramatic voice.

"Oh? Oh yes, yes, I have been doing good, Klaus. Thanks for asking," Alice said, and with that she pulled her hand back and went to join the brawlers.

Klaus was a little taken aback, but chose to ignore the whole thing and also went to join the other brawlers.

They were all just catching up and waiting for Kaito to come pick them up. Marucho had chosen a forest for their camping site, which made the whole trip much more wild and adventurous.

Shun went near Alice and asked her quietly, "Alice, are you feeling okay? You seem a little spaced out."

"Oh it's nothing Shun. Really, I'm fine." she replied with a weak smile.

"I know you stayed up most of the night cooking, and preparing for the trip," Shun said calmly.

"How'd you…?" Alice stopped mid-way, and blushed. She should've known Shun would have woken up from all the noise she created.

She giggled. "You sneaked up on me without me knowing," she said, answering her own question.

Now this earned a slight blush from Shun.

"A little….but seriously Alice. You shouldn't exert yourself so much, especially since we're going on this trip to relax ourselves; it's ironic." he said.

"I know, but I really wanted to make this perfect. And you all have done so much already; sacrificing a little bit of my sleep is the least I could do." she said.

Shun smiled inwardly. She'll never change, he thought.

"C'mon guys. Kaito is here." Marucho said.

The group sat comfortably in Marucho's limousine.

It would take at least an hour to reach the forest.

"Oh man, oh man. I am seriously stoked! Five whole days, can you believe it? FIVE WHOLE days without adult supervision! This is gonna be great!" Dan said.

He was like a super-charged battery that showed no signs of weakening.

The group decided to play 'Message Receive' to pass the time. In it, the players would join hands and send a message along by squeezing the other's hand. The one who would be 'it' would have to stop the message being passed by pointing out the act of 'squeezing'.

Klaus was made 'it' and Dan wanted the message to be passed from Shun to Alice as they were sitting opposite each other and it would be hard to do.

Shun passed the message to his right, that is, he squeezed Marucho's hand. This went unnoticed by Klaus.

Marucho squeezed Chan's hand who in turn pressed Runo's hand. Klaus had a hard time figuring out in which direction the message was being passed and, surprisingly, missed out all the passings.

Runo was sitting next to Alice. All left now was to squeeze Alice's hand, but she wasn't sure if she could do it discreetly. Klaus, who was having a hard time, just randomly pointed out to Dan and Alice's conjoined hands.

Since there was nothing, they both shook their heads.

That was when Runo took her chance and gently pressed Alice's hand.

"Message received!" Alice said cheerily.

Shun smirked, while Klaus just sat there, and according to him, very 'humiliated'.

"Ah, it's alright Klaus, don't take it personally," Dan said.

"Yea, okay," Klaus replied.

They played about two more rounds of this game when Kaito announced that they had reached their destination.

They got out of the limousine.

"We're here," Runo said in disbelief.

"Yup! The next five days are sure gonna be eventful." Dan said.

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**So that was it! ****  
Please review and thanks for reading! :D**

I hope you all liked it :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey all!**

**Thanks for all your reviews. They really mean a lot to me. :)**

**Well here it is-**

**Chapter 2**

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The gang had been wandering around the forest for over an hour, and they still hadn't found a good, clear campsite.

"Oh man! This is taking like forever! When are we gonna reach the campsite?" Dan complained.

"Patience Dan. We'll reach there eventually," The brains of the group, Marucho, said.

"Yea, but when? I'm starving!" Dan moaned.

"Will you give it a rest Dan? You just had three sandwiches along the way!" Runo angrily said to her boyfriend.

"And your point is….?" a clueless Dan asked.

You could literally see flames radiating out of her.

"It's best if you stop now Dan. You know you can't win," Billy gloomily said.

Everyone was tired of aimlessly walking around the forest. All around them were just thick trees and shrubs and they definitely needed a lucky break.

"Uh…I…I don't feel so good," Alice, putting her hand to her forehead, mumbled quietly to herself. Lack of food and sleep made her completely weak and exhausted. She knew she couldn't keep up much longer. Fatigue soon took over her completely and she collapsed.

"Alice!" the whole group exclaimed.

Shun and Klaus were the first to rush to her aid; and the rest of the gang crowded around her.

"Alice! Are you alright? Speak to me!" Klaus melodramatically said.

Shun just rolled his eyes. _Well he isn't gonna be of much help_

Shun helped Alice sit upright. "Alice, are you feeling okay?" he asked with concern.

"Yes Shun, I'm fine." Alice said thankfully, genuinely not noticing Klaus's presence.

"Oh thank goodness, you're okay!" Klaus said and took hold of Alice's hands.

"Oh? Oh, Klaus, yes, I'm okay." She replied.

"Well Alice, I don't think you can walk in this condition. You're too tired." Runo said.

"No, Runo. I can walk. See..." Alice proceeded to stand up but her wobbly legs gave way and she fell back down.

"No….we can clearly see you can't. So how will we take you to the campsite?" a thinking Runo said.

"I can carry her there." Shun nonchalantly said.

Klaus, not wanting to be left behind, also volunteered to carry her.

Shun narrowed his eyes at Klaus' offer and stared at him.

"Uh…" Dan said, sensing the tension in the air.

Alice herself was feeling uncomfortable. "I…I, ah..."

"Why not let Alice decide who she wants to be with." Chan plainly said.

Alice stuttered. "Um..I…I…don't know…um, maybe….Shun?" she said, looking up at said boy.

"But Alice-" Klaus protested.

Alice cut him short. "No, Klaus. You already are carrying so many things. I don't want to burden you," she said sincerely.

"No, it's okay…I can-"

"Dude, she like made her choice, and she's right, you can't carry her and all the other stuff," Billy said.

"Then I guess it's settled," Runo said with finality. "Shun, you're sure you can carry Alice?"

"Yeah."

Shun picked Alice up bridal-style, which caused her to turn slightly red. It went unnoticed by everyone 'cept Shun, at which he smirked.

"Okay, let's go then. We've wasted too much of valuable time," Marucho said.

He adjusted his glasses and began, "I believe we were heading in that direction…" but everyone else was tired to really pay any attention.

* * *

It had been fifteen minutes since the whole incident and Klaus was still grumbling about how 'betrayed' and 'cheated' he felt. _I can't believe Alice – my __**dear**__ Alice – would do that to me. Still, no matter, I'll do anything to get my fair lady. Ninja-boy is going down…._

Alice had fallen asleep in Shun's arms in no time; not only was she very tired but she had also found comfort in his arms.

Alice was a heavy sleeper. She had no control, whatsoever, over her actions when she was in her dream-like state and would fail to remember anything she did or say when she got up.

She snuggled up to Shun's chest as soon she fell into deep slumber. Shun was taken aback, but at the same time a small smile graced his features.

_Is it just me or is she also smiling, that too in her sleep?_

Klaus, on the other hand, was watching all of this from afar. _Grr…I gotta figure out some way to make Alice mine….but what?..._

_

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_

It was around 2 o'clock in the afternoon when the gang finally found a good spot. Everyone was extremely tired, so they all just dumped their things and fell asleep right away. Surprisingly, Dan also forgot about lunch and fell asleep beside Runo.

Shun was tired too, but he didn't want to wake up Alice. He was thinking of a way not to wake Alice up and get his rest when he spotted a large boulder. The surface of one of its sides was inclined and an idea came into his mind. He sat on the grass, his knees drawn up to Alice, and leaned back against the boulder. He soon fell asleep too.

_An hour later…._

Alice woke up slowly. She had had the best sleep and didn't feel like getting up. She slowly opened her eyes, and she was greeted by a gentle sight – a sleeping Shun!

She soon caught up with what was happening – they were in a clearing, which she guessed was the campsite, and Shun was sleeping in that posture so as not to wake her up.

She looked up at his face and smiled. _He is so caring…_

She was just admiring his beautiful face when Shun suddenly woke up. Their gazes met, and Alice looked the other way, her face red.

"Hey, you're awake. How are you feeling?" Shun gently asked.

"I feel good Shun. Thanks for asking," Alice said, smiling at him.

Shun smiled in return. They were just staring at each other in companionable silence.

Alice broke it after a little while. "Um, Shun?" she asked innocently.

"Yes Alice?"

"You can put me down now," she said looking down, a blush crawling up on her face.

"Oh…sure," Shun said, he himself becoming red. He was expecting something else. _I better not get my hopes up like that_

"Where are you going?" Shun asked.

"Oh, I'm setting up the tent. I guess everyone was really tired to it," she said while setting about doing her task.

"Alice," Shun said, while taking hold of her hand, "I told you today morning itself not to exert yourself. And you just experienced its effect today."

Alice turned around to face him. "I know Shun. But, all I did after coming here was sleep, and now I want to help out," she said while looking into his eyes.

_How can I say no to that face? _

"Alright fine," he said in defeat. "Then I'll help you out too."

"Thanks Shun."

The rest of brawlers were just getting up when Shun and Alice finished setting up the entire camp.

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**So that was it!**

**I hope you guys liked it!**

**Please review and thanks for reading!**

**Happy Holidays! :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey Everyone!**

**Arigatou for all the reviews! ^^**

**Since school has started [:'(] , I might be able to update once every few weeks, … :(**

**And….I was wondering, do you guys feel Klaus is a bit OOC in this fic? Tell me what you think (:)**

**See you guys at the end!**

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The sky was a brilliant mid-night blue. The stars were like little fireflies – bright, and glowing.

The brawlers were all quietly having their supper. They had built a small fire and were closely huddled around it, enjoying its warmth while at the same time reveling in the night's cool breeze.

"Hey, pass me-" Dan said while gulping down his food, "-some of that pudding."

"C'mon Dan! Stop being such a glutton! You're gonna finish up our five-days' supplies!" Runo said in a low voice. Even though she felt angry, she didn't feel like raising her voice and breaking the quiet aura of the place.

"Na-uh," Dan denied by profusely shaking his head.

"It's okay Runo. I knew something like this would happen. So I prepared a week's supplies instead," Alice said, smiling all the while. "And besides it wouldn't hurt to live on fruits, or vegetables for that matter, for the next couple of days."

"I guess you're right." She sighed. "Isn't this just great?" she dreamily said.

"Yeah, totally. It's so calm and peaceful here," Chan said, looking up at the stars.

"Hey! Why don't we sing some songs? It'll go perfectly with the night," Dan enthusiastically suggested.  
"And…-" He began a little proudly, "I have my guitar. It'll be great!"

Billy joined in, "Yeah, man. We should so totally do it! It'll be awesome!"

"How about we clear up and then sing? It'll be a lot less messy and we can have more fun," Runo said while finishing the last of her pudding.

"Sure!" Dan said and started eating his food again. It was as if Runo's words hadn't registered in his brain at all.

"That means you Dan," Runo said, increasing her voice at a rapid pace. "STOP EATING!"

"Oh hoho right…" and he nervously put his bowl away.

They soon cleared up and sat around the fire that was bright enough to lighten up everyone's faces.

Dan had his guitar in his hands. He was lightly drumming on it with his fingers.

Klaus decided to break the silence. "So what do we begin with?"

He looked up at Alice. "Alice –Do you have any suggestions?"

_What is up with this guy?_ Shun's expression had changed into one of irritation. Fortunately no one had noticed it as all eyes were on Klaus and Alice.

Alice herself wasn't thinking too kindly of Klaus. She knew songs but making her randomly choose and suggest one at the spot made her feel very tight and uncomfortable.

"Um,..I-"

Dan interrupted Alice, much to her relief, "Hey, how about '_She could be you'_?"

"Sounds great!" Julie exclaimed.

"Yeah," the rest agreed.

"Okay, so on the count of three," Dan said.

"_1….2….3"_

He started playing his guitar. For a forgetful, brawling-obsessed guy with an insatiable appetite, Dan actually handled the instrument with great skill and grace.

They all began singing along the tune.

_I'm haunted by this photograph  
Don't know why  
Everytime I look, I get shivers down my spine  
You're such a beautiful face  
I know those eyes  
They take me back in time_

She could be you  
I wouldn't even know  
She could be you  
But that was long ago  
She could be you

I wish that I could tell you  
What you don't know  
I dream about that day  
But it's impossible  
In another world,  
I'll be yours tonight  
But I can't break free from this life

She could be you  
I wouldn't even know  
She could be you  
But that was long ago  
She could be you

I see it all the time  
I know it's true  
A picture doesn't lie

She could be you  
I wouldn't even know  
She could be you  
But that was long ago  
She could be you

She could be you  
She could be you

Dan ended the song with one quick, fluid movement of his wrist. Everyone cheered. They were all just so happy and content at the moment, they wanted to release all of their pent-up energy.

Alice was the first to comment, "Wow, that was brilliant, Dan!"

"You are a really talented guitarist." Chan-lee said. She was indeed very amazed by his skills.

Billy also joined in, "Seriously dude! .Superb! You rock!"

"Aw, shucks. It's nothing really." His face flushed. This was probably the first time Dan was given so much praise and appreciation for something other than his killer brawling skills.

"So which song should we sing next?" he said, trying to get the attention off of himself.

"'_I want it that way'_ was very popular at the time of its release. How about that one?" Marucho said in that scientific way of his.

"Oh yeah, that's a great idea Marucho!" Dan was totally pumped for this song. It was one of his all-time fav.

They started off once again in the glorious world of music.

_After the song…._

"Woah – that was greater than I imagined," Runo said. She looked up at Dan and appreciatively said, "You were really wonderful. I didn't know you played that well."

"Thanks Runo," he said and then closing his eyes, he muttered softly under his breath, "That means a lot to me."

"So…I suppose that's all for the night?" Klaus questioned while at the same time concluded their whole 'ceremony'.

"Yea, I guess we should go get some rest. It's already past one," Runo said while glancing at her watch.

"Yeah, and my fingers are aching a bit too," Dan said while examining them.

He continued, "Okay, so there are two tents. The girls can be in one and the-"

"NO!" Julie screamed. "C'mon Dan! We are under NO supervision. Why should the girls and the guys be in separate tents?" she defiantly said.

"Um, 'cause Julie,….it's not-" Dan was cut off again.

"No buts! And besides," she said while clinging on to Billy's arm, "I want to spend the night with Billy!"

Said boy became immediately red. Good thing there wasn't enough light for everyone to see. "Uh, um, Julie…" he stammered while tugging at his collar.

Julie took no notice of him. "C'mon Dan…Please?" she put on her innocent face.

"Oh alright Julie," Dan said in defeat. "Well, then I suggest that you, Billy, Chan, and Klaus be in one tent while the rest of us can be in the other."

"How about Marucho and I switch tents?" Klaus suggested. He seemed really desperate.

"No, Klaus. There are five of us in our tent, so we don't have lots of space. Marucho is just small enough to fit in." Dan said and looked at the one in blue, "No offence, Marucho."

Marucho hadn't taken what Dan said personally. He knew it himself, "None taken, Dan," "And besides, you're arrangement is quite right, if I say so myself."

"Thanks dude," Dan said in return.

Klaus' heart sank. There was just a ghost of a smile seen on Shun's face.

"Right then," Dan said moving into his canvas. "'Night all"

There was a chorus of ''Nights' and 'Sweet dreams' and then everyone went into their assigned tents.

_With Dan, Shun, Marucho, Alice and Runo….._

The tent was spacious enough to accumulate all five of them. They slept on either side of the tent; on the right side were Runo and Dan and on the left slept Shun, Alice, and Marucho.

Dan and Runo held each others' hands and soon fell asleep. They were very well aware of the others and so did not choose to go any further than that.

Alice was very conscious of herself. She was positioned in between Marucho and Shun and she did not want to go too close to either side.

Shun was also just a bit apprehensive of who he was sleeping next to. To play safe, he kept himself to the entrance of the tent so that nothing would happen when he falls asleep.

Marucho fell asleep instantly. Shun and Alice stayed awake for a little while longer, but after about an hour or so, they too drifted to sleep.

_A few hours later….._

Shun, unlike Alice, had control over his actions whenever he was asleep. Tonight, however, something changed in him – he lost authority over every part of himself. His subconscious mind became his master, for once.  
He changed his position and was now facing Alice; the arm his body was resting on outstretched towards her.

Though Marucho was small in stature, he took a lot of space to adjust. He spread out both his hands and legs and occupied a major portion of the left side of the tent. This naturally caused Alice to move over to Shun's side.

She was in deep sleep. She didn't realize that she had rolled over Shun's arm and was now tightly clutching his shirt. Her head was nestled in his neck, just below his chin.

In due time, Shun's fingers were curled around Alice's hip and his free hand was also limply wrapped around her waist.

They slept snugly in that position throughout the night.

_Early morning, the next day…_

Klaus awoke with a start. He had had a bad dream of evil bunnies and snakes, united, and determined, to eat him.

He decided to take a walk to clear his mind. It was around half past seven and he didn't think it would be right to wake everyone up, especially since they all slept at around one in the morning.

It was still a little dark outside. The trees were tall and thick and prevented any sunlight from streaming in. Small animals like squirrels; and the birds were slowly stirring and preparing for the day. He liked what he was surrounded by; the disparity of trees and animals was something he didn't get to witness much in the city.

It was now five minutes to eight and Klaus figured it would be best to check up on Alice. He didn't like it that he was confined to a separate tent than hers, and that Shun got to be with her! Oh, how much he despised him….

He went inside and was horrified with what he saw. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?" he screeched.

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**So that was it!**

**Well I obviously don't own any of the songs (or Bakugan)….and I didn't write the lyrics of '**_**I want it that way' **_**because it was too long…Sorry**

**I'm also sorry for violating any of the rules of this site, but I thought it would be best to write the lyrics of the first song instead of just naming it.**

**I hope it didn't feel like a repetition of the previous chapter :(**

**Please review and thanks for reading! :D**

**Sayonara!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Wow! **

**I havent been here for a very very very long time! Sorry guys for being inconsistent...but my school has this goal to torture its students with evaluations, tests and exams! And they give only a week's holiday after the exams... - . -**

**But still...thank you so very much guys! You kept reviewing and that made me type out this chapter as soon as my exams got over. Thank you so very much! You guys are the best! ^^**

**So to make it up for all the days I've been dead, I've made this chapter extra extra long :)**

**I wont take much your time,...here's the chapter :**

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"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?" an irritating voice screeched.

Shun's eyes popped open and he sat up with a start. There was very little response from the others; slight shuffling from Dan and Runo's side and Alice just turned the other way. It was apparent that his girly shriek contained less power.

"What's wrong with you?" Shun muttered in an annoyed voice. He clearly didn't like being woken up abruptly like that.

"ME? I should be asking you that! What were you doing with Alice!" Klaus' voice became softer however the same could not be said about his temper.

"What are you talking about? I didn't do anything." The rival replied.

Both were whispering at the top of their lungs.

"Don't play dumb. You were cuddling her! I saw it with my very own eyes!" Klaus accused. He wasn't going to let his love go away without a fight.

"Well, your eyes must be mistaken 'cause I'm pretty sure I didn't as much as even touch her," Shun said in defending himself.

"Well! If I hadn't intervened, God knows what you would've done to her…" Klaus dragged on in his droning voice, displaying no signs of stopping.

Shun closed his eyes in exasperation. Frustration was building up inside of him but he didn't want to vent out. Sure, he and Klaus weren't the best of friends, well they didn't even acknowledge each other as friends; but he was still a good friend of the brawlers, and Shun, not wanting to cross the limit, chose to quietly regard his fabricated accusations.

"Are you through now?" Shun questioned laconically.

"What?" Klaus replied in an equally low, yet confused manner, "Did you even hear a single thing I said right now?"

"Look. This isn't going to accomplish anything. Just because you have this huge crush on Alice doesn't mean you can throw whatever you like at me. Besides, you have no proof that I did anything, thereby all your allegations are meaningless," Shun said indifferently. He then added, "Now. I'm going back to sleep. If you _think _you have any dignity left in you, you would leave right now." Saying this Shun pulled the covers over to his head.

Klaus, however, was left utterly speechless. He was unable to gather a strong comeback and so, unbelievingly, taking heed of Shun's words, he left the tent – muttering something inaudible all the while.

_That cantankerous Kazami. You are going to PAY. I will make sure of it. Insulting me like that. How dare you! Watch your back carefully, one wrong move and I'll mortify you in the worst way possible. You just wait and watch… _

Thinking these thoughts, Klaus, like a person with an unsound mind, let out a quiet, maniacal laughter.

* * *

_**After the morning routine like brushing teeth, bathing, etc**__…[lets suppose Marucho had made provisions for those facilities]_

"Ah. Day 2 in the camp and it feels great!" declared Dan, as he took in the wisp of forest air.

"Yeah" Runo chimed in, "I'm lovin' it here"

"Ooh! That reminds me McDonalds! All the food, the fries, the hamburgers and the…" Dan continued, naming his never-ending choice of foods and reveling in his wonderland.

Runo fought back the urge to slap him. "Doesn't he ever think of anything else?" she muttered through gritted teeth.

Meanwhile, Shun, with closed eyes, was leaning back against the bark of a tree and wordlessly listening to Dan and Runo's routinely quarrels. He was also, not surprisingly, fully aware of Klaus' non-subsiding glare on him.

The rest of the gang, that is, Chan, Marucho and Alice were discussing the items they needed for the day for, not-thankfully, Dan had gobbled up the entire trip's supplies.

"Okay, so we've made of a list of the things we will be needing for today," the one with the glasses began. He pointed his small chubby finger at each one of them and handed out their tasks.  
"Hey, where's Julie and Billy?" he asked when he unable to spot them.

Chan giggled, "I heard Julie wanted to show Billy something out in the forest, so….I guess they're going to be a while."

"Oh," Marucho exclaimed, "Then I guess you and I will have to take up Billy and Julie's errands," he said whilst pointing to Chan. "That leaves you Alice," he stated. "Can you hold the fort here?"

"Sure. No problem," she said gently.

"Okay guys, let's get going. We have to get back here before noon so synchronize your watches," Marucho said while glancing at his own digital watch.

Everyone set out in different directions to collect their respective items. Even Shun and Klaus took different paths though both were handed the responsibility of bringing firewood.

Alice stayed behind to look after the camp and cook something up with the spare things she had.

Being able to sense when something was wrong, Alice had been able to detect that something was not right between Shun and Klaus that day. They had been behaving strange and Alice could not quite put her finger on what was the cause of it. She decided to ask them about it when they arrived.

* * *

It had been utmost ten minutes when Alice thought she heard footsteps in the distance.

"Hn? Who could it be? There is no one here in the forest except us and everyone just left about sometime ago," Alice said quietly to herself. She put down her duffel bag and set out to investigate.

She went to the nearest bush and pushed aside some leaves. "Hello?" she said, "Is anyone there?"

"Hello Alice" she heard from behind.

Alice turned around to his voice. "Oh, hello Klaus. It's only you. I got a bit worried back there. How come you've returned so quickly? Done with your job so soon?" Alice asked all at once.

"Patience, my dear. You'll know soon enough," Klaus said in a manner solely he thought charming.

"Sure okay" Alice responded and got back to ruffling her bag. Klaus started encircling her like a predator analyzing its prey from all corners.

"Alice," he began. "What do you think of Shun?"

_That was unexpected_, _why is he inquiring about Shun?,_ thought she.  
"Um, why do you want to know Klaus?" Alice cluelessly asked.

"Don't be reticent, my _dear _Alice. You can reveal your thoughts to me. However, if you do not wish to…I won't press you..." He left his sentence hanging. He was still taking rounds around her.

Alice was feeling queasy. She knew Klaus wouldn't do her any harm. After all, he was a friend. But she couldn't understand why he was behaving like the way he was. Did she do something to him? Did Shun do something to him? What triggered him to act like this?

"Well, the question you asked was just so…random and spontaneous. And why…does it only concern Shun?" Alice asked. She felt her head spinning by watching Klaus walk around her.

Klaus let out a deep sigh. "Alice…there are so many things you don't know about Shun," he spoke in a condemning manner.

"Huh?" What do you mean? He didn't do anything," She said. She was confused by the way Klaus was speaking, and also by the fact that he was only targeting Shun.

Klaus smirked. "That's what you _think, _Alice. Do you _know_ what happened last night?" Klaus questioned in a smug manner. He knew what effect his following words would have on Alice.

Alice remained still. She thought it best to let the whole situation unfold itself. Klaus wouldn't let on why he was being so mysterious.

He slowed down his pace. "Well, _do_ you?" Klaus repeated his question.

He suddenly stopped dead in his tracks and took hold of her arm.  
He began his rant, "Alice, you shouldn't be near a person like Shun. I know you have a feeble 'likeness' towards him, but don't fall into it. He will ultimately leave you and break your heart. He just _acts_ nice to you for a particular reason. I cannot even bring myself to tell you what he did last night..." He deliberately paused. He waited to see the impact of his words on her.

Alice took in whatever Klaus said very slowly. What did he mean by Shun was just _faking_ being nice to her? He was going to leave her? What was Klaus getting at? And what exactly was the big deal about the previous night that Klaus kept talking about? Alice couldn't make head or tail of anything. All of Klaus' words were just floating in her head. She didn't want to believe anything he said, but then, she thought, why would Klaus go ahead and lie to her about Shun? He hadn't done anything to him.

She finally found her nerve to speak. "And…what…exactly…happened last ni-night?" she said mechanically, not once looking into his eyes.

Klaus brought his head closer to her ears; his one hand reached up to caress her cheek. Alice flinched at the touch of his skin.

He proceeded to whisper in a husky voice, "_He took advantage of you. What else would you expect from him….late at night?"_

Alice was left astounded; however unlike any other girl who would have been devastated after hearing such news, she somehow found the courage to wrest Klaus' hand away and slap him. HARD.

A few tears escaped her eyes. How could Klaus even say that?  
"How dare you!" she asked in between tears, "How…dare…you"

Klaus just clutched on to his cheek where Alice had slapped him. He hadn't expected such a response from her. No. He had expected her to break; to fall apart; to hate Shun and seek comfort from him. He expected her to believe his spiced up tale of last night and voice her bitterness for Shun; and show her that he was the only one who truly cared for her.

But No. All didn't go as planned. She hated _him_ now instead!

Still, that wouldn't stop Klaus.

He tried again; one last chance to get his girl, "Alice," he persuaded, "Please…believe me..I wouldn't lie..not to you..What I said hurt you, I know, but that is the truth…" Klaus was so resilient.

Alice wiped her tears with the back of her hand. She knew Klaus was lying. She knew it. But somewhere, deep down, it hurt her. Badly. And she wasn't able to shake the feeling off.  
Why would Klaus even go to such an extent? She couldn't comprehend it.

Still, being the 'good-natured' and 'pleasant' Alice, she could not even bring herself to hate him.

She didn't exactly know what to feel at the moment. Was she to believe Klaus' words or discard it? She didn't know.

At last, she spoke, "Just leave me alone Klaus. I don't feel like talking…not to you, not to anyone…just leave.."

"As you wish…._Alice…" _Saying that Klaus left her alone with her thoughts.

* * *

The entire day, Alice didn't behave like her usual jolly self. She seemed lost, and puzzled. Everyone noticed her strange behavior and questioned her about it but she cleverly evaded each and every one of their worries. Shun chose to give her her space so he sparsely talked to her; but he knew something was troubling her mind, he could feel it. He thought he would ask her about it at night – in the tent.

Shun's hopes were dashed though. That night Klaus had specifically asked Marucho to sleep in between Alice and Shun so as to prevent a repetition of the previous night. Marucho had his suspicions at first but chose not to pry too much into Klaus' doing. He didn't exactly have a great bonding with Klaus since that day he had supposedly sent Preyas to the doom dimension, although he returned him in the end.  
He agreed to do it; though he felt quite uneasy when he actually did it. It felt, in Marucho's words, 'as if he was the barrier that prevented the north and south poles of two separate magnets from coming together.'

* * *

It was the middle of the night. Alice could not help not falling asleep. Klaus' words kept repeating in her mind. They haunted her. She sat up with a start and glanced around. Everyone else was sleeping.

She took it as an opportunity and sneak out of the tent. She needed to be alone to think over the day's events and Dan's snoring certainly didn't help.

She quietly tip-toed out of the tent and ran through the tress like there was no tomorrow.  
After a few minutes of fast running, she found a good, clear spot under a tree and sat there. She was alone now, with no one to influence her or disturb her. She decided to go back to the camp early next day to prevent the arousal of concern from her friends.

But for now, Alice savored the solitude. Her knees were drawn to her chest and her hands were folded upon them as she gazed into the emptiness of the night sky.

* * *

_Somewhere far in the forest, the white-haired boy was talking on his cell-phone…_

"_Hello?"_

"…_."_

"_Hey yea, it's me. Were you able to get in here without any trouble?"_

"…_."_

"_Hehe, yea, I'm sure. Listen your target is now not restricted to only the boy, but it's open to the girl as well."_

"…_."_

"_Don't ask questions. Just do what you're paid for."_

"…_."_

"_Stop pestering me with it. I already regret telling you about that secret...ugh...you and your God damn blackmailing…She just ..had the audacity to..to…,You know what? Forget it…Just dispose off them both. I'll keep you posted on their every move, Okay?"_

"…_."_

"_Thanks. Talk to you tomorrow. I have to go back before anyone suspects something."_

_

* * *

_

**Thanks for reading!**

**And I'm going to update regularly...this story can go ahead with a couple of good chapters more and I intend on doing it soon.**

**Shun (sarcastic): Dont listen to her. She's deceiving all of you. She's gonna sit at home and watch cricket all day!**

**Me: Hey thats not true! ...I will be doing both.**

**Shun: Yeah right! You cant multi-task :P**

**Me: -.-...you know being the authress, i can do anything...**

_*** Magically shifts the scene to a house and pushes Shun into it ***_

**Me: There! He cant use his wise-cracks on me now**

**Shun (from within the house): Oh hi Alice!**

**Me: Yup..peace at last**

**Shun (to me): You know I can still insult you**

**Me: Yeah? Well, if you do I'll strip both you and Alice of your clothes**

**Shun: What! Wait a sec..you can actually-**

**Me (interrupts) : You know, we'll discuss your 'desires' later..I have to get back to my readers now**

**You guys: O.O this is so awkward...**

**Me: Well anyways, thanks for reading till here! Leave a review telling me whether you liked it, hated it, or thought this chapter was average**

**Tc**

**Sayonara!**


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